


Chasing the Sun

by Wesakechak



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: F/F, Gen, Slice of Life AU, asuka owns a pickup truck like always, doesn't mean that they don't have problems though, roadtrip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 12:16:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11230767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wesakechak/pseuds/Wesakechak
Summary: Rei wanted to see an eclipse. Asuka wanted to get away from her family. Roadtrip AU.





	Chasing the Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thuccy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thuccy/gifts).



> It's still Saturday for me lol, sorry it was late.  
> Also it's good to finally release this fic.

 

The streetlight above Asuka’s truck was flickering on and off. It was the only one on the street that was doing so, as if it wanted to draw attention to her. Whether that was a positive or a negative, she couldn’t tell. But for now it merely illuminated the old red pickup truck and its single occupant. They were both out of place in the well to do neighbourhood, which was filled with two storey houses and expensive looking sedans. Her own house was closer to the centre of the city, smaller and with far less space between it and its neighbours. Her stepfamily had far less influential a name than Ikari did, and that showed. She leaned over the steering wheel, looking at the dashboard clock that was illuminated in a sickly green light. It was three minutes before ten o’clock. Thick clouds blocked out any and all moonlight, persistent even though they had already released whatever rain they may have had during the evening, saturating the city with it. The streets still had thin puddles running across them, reflecting and distorting the light from the streetlights.

Asuka bit her lip, pressing her chin to the top of the steering wheel. The smell of coffee wafted up to her nose, her thermos was sitting in the cupholder, open and half empty. She had been waiting for nearly thirty minutes now, parked at the end of the street. A part of her thought she was just wasting time. She should have been driving. Somewhere. Away from the city. It had been stupid to hope that anything would have come of waiting. Yet here she was.  

She checked her phone again, staring at the last two texts on the screen. The reason why she was waiting. Her own text first, sent right after she had parked under the faulty street light.

>im here if u still wanna go

And the reply, sent immediately afterwards, twenty nine minutes ago.

>Yes, of course. I will be out in thirty minutes.

Something moved in Asuka’s periphery vision, against one of the houses. She lifted her head, following the pale shape as it hurried across the lawns, stumbling once before bounding up again. Rei stepped into the light cast by the streetlight above Asuka, looking at her through the window. She appeared paler in the dark, more aetherial and almost glowing, as if she was an otherworldly being that had stumbled across Asuka in a daze. Asuka nodded at her, then jerked her chin at the side of the truck, telling Rei to hurry. It was ten o’clock exactly. Asuka hadn’t known why she expected anything else from Rei, who was nothing if not punctual with everything in her life. The passenger door swung open and Rei tossed her schoolbag onto the middle of the bench seat, where it landed beside Asuka’s own bag, before she climbed in herself.

Neither of them said anything while Asuka started the truck, swinging it around to leave the street the way she had entered. Rei was far too tired, and Asuka didn’t want to waste any more time than needed in the city. She reached over and turned the radio up a notch, letting it fill the silence that sat in the truck. Neither of them were that conversational on the best of times, and Asuka could tell how exhausted Rei looked, plus her own swirling thoughts made trying to small-talk with her an unwanted task. Rei leaned her head to the side of the cab, looking out the side window. Asuka knew that Rei required actual sleep, unlike Asuka herself who could live solely on caffeine if needed. Rei had tried one of her coffees once, and then had to go to the infirmary when she wouldn’t stop shaking like a leaf. Afterwards she had sworn never to give Rei another one.  

“Where to?” Asuka asked eventually as they drove down the road, still busy even late at night. For now, they were heading towards the center of the city. Asuka kept her eyes ahead, not having looked at Rei since she had gotten into the cab. Perhaps she had merely hoped Rei had gotten in. Imagined it and in her exhausted state her mind had indulged her fantasy.

“Aomori would be the best place to go.” Rei replied quietly, her voice barely able to be heard above the radio. It was distinct enough for Asuka to hear, however, and she nodded at the suggestion. That was north. As far north as they could go without hitting the ocean. More than enough for Asuka to escape the feeling of lingering neglect from her family, to clear her head and think about what she wanted to do. It was also where, in under forty-eight hours, one could see the moon passing in front of the sun. The eclipse would miss Tokyo, but would pass through the north of Japan.

“Aomori.” Asuka repeated, turning to get off of the avenue they were on and onto a street, heading north. Asuka gripped the steering wheel slightly tighter than  The traffic grew less and less dense as they left the city center, first into the suburbs and then onto the country highway. Asuka kept her eyes on the road, illuminated only by the headlights on the beaten-up truck. Outside the beams of light was inky blackness, which Rei looked into with half-lidded eyes.

Rei did not try to make conversation, which was a welcome relief to Asuka. She could count on Rei to be there when she didn’t want to talk but didn’t want to be alone either. As she felt now. It was how their friendship, as strange as it was, was defined. Long silences with the occasional conversation about something that interested them, or a rant from Asuka about whatever was annoying her at any given moment. Quiet moments together, They drove for another hour with nothing but silence, the worry in Asuka’s mind settling as she drove further from the city.

“We can pull over there.” Asuka said, finally speaking. They had travelled far enough for tonight, Asuka decided. Rei looked up sluggishly, scanning the area ahead before she found the stop that Asuka had seen.

“Yes. We should.” Rei agreed, setting her head back against the side of the cab. The truck decelerated, and then turned into a parking area. It was pushed into groups of trees, a small section had been cut back to make room for the lot. There were a few other cars parked already, though Asuka still managed to find a relatively private spot in one of the corners. She looked over at Rei, who had already fallen asleep. Her legs swung  Quietly she flicked on the internal light, certain that if Rei was as tired as she seemed, not much would make her wake up.  

And Rei didn’t stir at the new source of light. Asuka reached back behind the bench seat, pulling out a light blanket. She draped it over Rei’s body, which made her emit a content sigh and shift in her sleep. Asuka grabbed another blanket, then turned off the light and mirrored Rei’s position. She was used to sleeping against the side of the cab, and settled herself into the most comfortable position she could find. Letting out a sigh, she looked up at the twinkling stars out the front window. They had left behind the clouds with the city. Asuka shifted against the door, glancing at Rei as she slept. The uneasiness that seemed to have plagued Rei earlier seemed to have left her.

***

Rei woke up to find a blanket had been set around her shoulders, and realized that the side of the truck cab was harder than she had anticipated. Her neck protested from the night of uncomfortable conditions. Her mind started to catch up to the events of the previous night, reminding her that they weren’t the products of a dream, but what she had actually done. She really had stood up to her father, the thought making her stomach turn. She really had marched out of the house with her backpack full of supplies for a couple days, or what she thought she needed. She really had gotten into Asuka’s waiting truck, as she had promised she would when they had been walking home from school. She now glanced at Asuka, who was still fast asleep and covered with another blanket. Not wanting to wake her, Rei opened the door on her side. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and stepped out into the parking lot, stretching her cramped legs out. Her hands moved to the back of her neck, working out the kinks in it.

The outside air felt fresh after the night she spent in the cab. Rei leaned back against the side of the truck, watching the sun rise. It was peacefully, quiet aside from the occasional car passing the parking stop. The view was rather pretty, she thought. Not as congested as the city, without the haze and the houses getting in the way. She frowned, remembering something. Her mother had always enjoyed the outdoors, or so Rei had heard. Yui would probably have liked to see this, soaked up the sun and gone for a walk in the surrounding trees. Rei imagined her entire family joining in, all of them truly happy for once. Then she sighed, shaking her head to dispel the idle fantasy. She could feel the truck shake against her back, and she looked into the cab. Asuka was stirring, slowly rousing herself with an arm stretch and loud yawn. She scooted over to the other side of the cab, towards the already open door.

“Morning.” Asuka said, sitting on the seat, her legs hanging out of the truck. There was a splash as Asuka chucked the lukewarm remnants of her coffee out the thermos onto the ground behind the door. Rei tilted her head back to look at her. Asuka had been looking at her as well, but diverted her eyes when she noticed Rei’s eyes catching hers. Instead of Rei, Asuka diverted her attention to the rising sun. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, towards it. Trying to wake up no doubt, considering she lacked any coffee to help in that regard.

“Good morning.” Rei replied, following Asuka’s gaze. A few wispy clouds hung in the sky above the horizon, glowing orange and pink in the morning light.

“Let's go.” Asuka said, once the sun had fully cleared the horizon a few minutes later. “How long do we have?”

“About seven hours.” Rei replied. They had gone around one hundred kilometres the previous night, leaving six hundred left for the day. There would be enough time for them to make it, even if there was an unforeseen minor detour they needed to take.

“We’re wasting time then.” Asuka grumbled, slipping back into the truck and out of Rei’s view. Rei turned her head to the side, watching her for a second as Asuka crawled back to the driver’s seat. Asuka was anxious to go, it seemed. Even more so than Rei herself was, and she had been the one to ask Asuka. And she doubted that she was as interested in the approaching eclipse as she was. Was she eager to get this over with, then? Or something else? She frowned in confusion.

They returned to the same positions as last night, Asuka in the driver’s seat and Rei staring out the window on the passenger side. The landscape was a blur outside, Rei only catching glimpses of individual features as they drove by them. A few small towns, other rest stops that they didn’t use. Neither of them spoke to the other, lost in their own thoughts and worries. Breakfast happened on the road, fifty kilometers after the stop. It consisted of dry granola bars and a juice box for each of them. The meager provisions that Asuka had managed to scrounge from her house after she had made up her mind to go. The lack of preparation told Rei that Asuka had made up her mind shortly before she had left for her house. Or else she had not put that much thought into it. Rei finished her juice, the thank you lost to the air betwen her and Asuka. Then she reached into her own pack and pulled out a novel. It would be a long journey, and neither of them could talk through it.

***

“Hey, Rei.” Rei glanced at Asuka. She closed the novel, putting one finger on the page so she wouldn’t lose it. She knew it was page one-twenty, but it would be easier if she had it on the same page. Though Asuka’s tone suggested that she wouldn’t be reading it for some time. Rei waited for Asuka to continue, as she seemed to be building up the courage to speak more. It took her just over a minute to finally begin again, taking a deep breath and exhaling it slowly. “So, after this, when do you want to go back?” She asked.

“I do not particularly know. My father merely shrugged when I said I was determined to go, he did not demand that I be back with any urgency.” Rei replied. He hadn’t raised his voice at her, of course he never did. Though he had been against going himself, and had not liked that Rei had wanted to go either. Her initial attempt for the family to go together had been shot down. Was he disappointed in her, or did he simply not care? Either option made Rei anxious. “When do you want to go back?” Rei returned the question to Asuka.

“I…” Asuka started to grip the steering wheel tighter, Rei seeing the slight tremble in her body as she opened and closed her mouth. “You’re thinking about it wrong.” Asuka started talking again, the tone changing in her voice told Rei that she was replacing whatever she had felt with annoyance. “I didn’t ask you when your father wants you back, I asked when you want to go back.” She clarified. Realization slowly dawned on Rei, beginning to understand Asuka’s question. It had been only natural to think that she meant by her father’s wishes. Those had been what had dictated her life. What she relied on, though Asuka told her she did so too much.

“In that case, I still do not know. I never put any thought in it.” She mused. “I suppose immediately, but…” Her voice trailed off, and she folded her hands under her chin, thinking. They still had school that they needed to get back to, so they would most likely spend tomorrow making their way back to Tokyo, or so she assumed.

“But?” Asuka prompted with a hiss.

“I will need to think on it.” Rei replied honestly.

Asuka replied with a grunt, slumping back into her seat. Rei sucked in a breath. There was not much else that she could say to Asuka at the time. And Asuka merely set her jaw and concentrated on driving, the twitch in her body subsiding for a moment. There was something that Asuka wasn’t saying.

There was something that Rei wasn’t telling her either, how she felt sick since last night, when she had made up her mind to stand up to her father. It had been one of the few time she had ever done so, and now she wondered if she had made the right choice.

The sound of a hitched breath suddenly drew her back to the present moment. There was another sound, a harsh, short inhale, from the opposite side of the cab. Something was wrong with Asuka, even though she couldn’t tell what it was. Her knuckles gripped the steering wheel far tighter than needed, turning white with exertion. Her body posture was hunched forward, as if it would lead to her concentrating on driving even more than she was. Whatever was wrong, Rei didn’t like it.

“Pull over. Let me drive for a while.” Rei suggested **,** reaching over and touching Asuka’s arm gently. Only because she was not sure if Asuka could hear her through what looked like a single-minded focus on simply driving. At the contact Asuka jerked away from Rei, pressing her shoulder against the door. The truck swerved in and out of its lane for a second, until Asuka managed to regain control, straightening the wheel. Rei could see how Asuka’s face grew taut as her muscles strained, tense. Asuka turned towards her for a brief second, her brow furrowed and lips tight. Clearly angry. Rei shrunk away from her, back to her corner of the cab. Not wanting to provoke her any more than she already had. Silence once again ruled the cab while Asuka drove them to a rest stop. This one was bigger than the one they had spent the night at, there was a gas station along with a small restaurant. Asuka made her way to one of the pumps, stopping in front of it.

“What the hell was that?” Asuka snapped at Rei once they had stopped. Rei frowned, thinking of an answer. She looked at the pedometer, seeing how far they’ve gotten. They had travelled around four hundred kilometres today, leaving the last two hundred to go. She could easily drive that distance. If Asuka allowed her to, which she highly doubted.

“You seemed distressed about something.” Rei explained, keeping her voice quiet. Asuka huffed and swung the door open, moving to the gas pump.

“Well, I’m not.” Asuka retorted.

Rei stepped out of the truck, following Asuka’s lead and walking around the front of the truck to be on the same side as Asuka. She was concentrated on the pump, her back turned to Rei. Avoiding looking at her.

“It’s nothing.” Asuka said without turning around. Her voice was loud, strained.

“Asuka, I know there is something wrong. Let me drive the final leg.” She kept her voice low, glancing around the gas station.

“There’s nothing wrong! I’m fine, so just-”

“We are making a scene.” Rei interrupted, gesturing around them. Asuka stopped talking and looked around, seeing the other people currently parked at the gas station staring at them. With an indignant sigh she dropped her head and stormed away from Rei, into the store. Rei stayed on the driver’s side, watching the pump count off the litres it poured into the fuel tank. Then it sputtered to a stop and Rei returned it to its holder.

When Asuka left the store she walked past Rei, to the passenger side, and entered without so much as sparing a glance at her. She had been carrying two bottles of water, cracking one open and setting the other on the dashboard. Rei blinked, uncertain about what she was doing. Asuka’s arms were crossed over her chest, and she was looking forward. She waited, drumming her fingers over her upper arm. Rei opened her mouth to speak, to ask if something had happened in the gas station.

Then it became clear to her. So she had, in the end, relented. Rei opened the driver’s side, and sat behind the wheel. She started the truck and drove out of the gas station, back onto the road.

***

Relinquishing control of the truck to Rei had been an inevitable, Asuka thought. She could have continued ignoring the various doubts that riddled her, focusing on driving, but now they threatened to boil over at any given moment, removing that as an option. Rei suspected something, and she would persist until Asuka talked about it. Asuka curled her legs up onto the seat, staring past Rei and out the front window on the driver’s side. The conclusion she reached was that Rei was far too perceptive, and far too worried not to leave her to drive while something was bothering her. Rei was not as smooth a driver as she was, the truck jerking slightly when it began moving when she stepped on the gas peddle. The jerky movement made Asuka grimace slightly.

She avoided looking at Rei, in fear that if she did Rei would see how broken she looked. That was something that she’d rather not show to anyone. Even if it was just Rei that she would show it to. As she usually did, she bit down on her lip, holding it between two of her canines. It hurt, but it turned her mind away from the deeper pain. Her eyes stung, threatening to tear up but refusing to. Yet Rei had wanted her to open up, and now that they were back in the truck she could do just that.

“My family.” Asuka began, though couldn’t think of anything else to say. She still didn’t cry, even though tears formed in her eyes and she needed to sniffle to keep her nose from running. Her jaw clenched tighter. Rei was waiting for her to continue. Patiently. A part of her wanted Rei to ask her again, prompt her forward, even though that wouldn’t be like her at all. Yet she stifled that voice, and bit harder on her lip.

“I need to get away from my family.” Asuka began again. She clenched her fist, digging her nail into skin.

“That is why you agreed to take me?” Rei asked, not taking her eyes off the road.

“Yeah.” It was part of the reason, at least. Another being that she wanted to spend time with Rei. Even though she would deny it, she was glad that she had Rei as a friend. For exactly these types of situations. Someone to listen to her and impart whatever strange wisdom she could.

“That was why you you were hesitant to say when you wanted to go back.” Rei realized, looking at Asuka for a moment. Asuka nodded at her. That was another reason that she had chosen to go with Rei, to see how it would be like to be away from her family. So far, she thought, it was going well. She didn’t feel any longing ache to return to them.

“It’s hard to put up with them. They don’t care.” Her voice was starting to crack, and she had to swallow back a lump in her throat. She found herself staring at Rei now, unable to look away because she needed to see her reaction.

“Asuka, I am sure that that is not true.” Rei said, trying to sound reassuring. Asuka grit her teeth, anger bubbling up in her and replacing the sadness for a few moments. That was something that Asuka knew how to deal with, how to show. So she did.

“It is!” Asuka insisted. Then she went a step beyond. “Nobody cares!” Asuka yelled, slamming her fists into the dashboard. She pulled it back immediately afterwards, pain throbbing through it and up her arm. Now tears were back in her eyes, threatening to fall. She closed them, still refusing to let Rei see them if or when they did fall.

“Your lip is bleeding.” Rei noted. Asuka took her arm and wiped it across her mouth, a red stain covering her arm when she opened her eyes to look at it. She was indeed bleeding from her lip.

She had been so worked up about her family that she hadn’t even noticed it. Rei pulled the car over to the side of the road, and then unbuckled her seatbelt. Asuka watched her with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. It had been Rei who had been insistent about going, yet now she was stopping.

“If we keep stopping we’re going to miss that eclipse.” She grumbled. Now she was able to taste the blood in her mouth, and she pressed her tongue against the wound, trying to stem the bleeding.

“You are injured. That is more important.” Rei replied matter-of-factually. She grabbed her backpack from the seat, and then opened a smaller compartment on the front of it. Asuka watched her produce a wad of tissues from the school bag. She held out her hand with them, offering them to Asuka. She snatched them out of Rei’s hands, took two and blew her nose with them, airing out the congestion that had built up while she had been crying earlier. Then she wadded up another tissue and pressed it against the bleeding lip for a moment.

“But-”

“You need to keep it there to stop the bleeding. You will be alright.” There was a hint, a slight sliver, of annoyance in Rei’s voice. Enough for Asuka to hear and to take pause. “I will be here.” She added, softer this time. Asuka let out a puff of air through her nose, looking away from her. Yet she still held the tissue to her lip, and didn’t protest any further.

Then Rei returned to the driver’s side and pushed down on the gas pedal. The truck was back on the road, an uneasy silence between the two of them as they continued driving.

***

Asuka still felt her stomach turning and twisting over itself as she watched Rei drive into the city. The kleenex that she had pressed against her lip was wet with blood and spit, and the wound was throbbing in pain. The flow of blood was less than it had been before though. Rei had helped with that. She found herself looking closer at Rei. Nobody cared, she had said. Yet as she looked at Rei a part of her wondered if that was true. She hoped that Rei cared, of course, but it was hard to think that that could be true. And asking her was out of the question. If she didn't care, then all her hopes would be dashed.        

So instead she turned back to look at the stores and restaurants on the roadside, making notes of what shops there were. Her stomach rumbled, ever so slightly, and she realized how hungry she was. She could use something hot, she thought. Rei probably could as well, but she wondered if they had enough time. So she didn’t ask, and let Rei keep driving further into the city.

A few minutes later they came across a large parking lot, filled with people and cars milling around. Rei parked them in one of the few open spots.

They had thirty minutes to spare. They had made good time. Rei seemed to relax back in her seat, leaning her head back against the headrest. Rei glanced over at her, a smile crossing her face. And as troubled as Asuka was, she couldn’t help but smile back at the pleasant sight.

***

Rei looked at the dashboard clock. It was nearly time for the eclipse to happen, and she reached over again to the brooding Asuka, tapping her on the shoulder. At the very least, she was more receptive of her touch than she had been before. Instead of flinching away, she merely stiffened and turned to look at her. Rei looked at her, staying quiet but silently asking if she was alright. She had smiled when they had arrived, so she seemed to be better. Rei reached into her backpack and pulled out her viewing lense. She could only find one, so her and Asuka would have to share. She was fine with that.

“Wait, we’re going to use that?” She pointed at the single disk of darkened plastic that Rei had.

“It was all I managed to find.” Rei replied simply. It was rather simple, and cheap, but it would work. It was all Rei needed.  

“Are you sure that’s even going to work.” Asuka pointed out, squinting at the disk.

“It is not the best, but-” Rei began.  

“I’m going to try and find a bathroom.” Asuka proclaimed suddenly, slipping out her door before Rei could finish. Rei opened her mouth, letting out a sigh, and stared at the lense in her hands. It would be better, she realized, if they viewed it outside. She set her bag down, and then got out of the truck. Grabbing the tailgate, she sprang up into the box. She walked towards the cab, leaning against it. The metal was hot from the day in the sun. A few minutes later she felt the truck shift behind her. She turned around, seeing Asuka climb up into the box. She gave a quick wave to Rei, which Rei returned.

“Here, I got these things.” Asuka handed her a pair of darkened glasses. She had an identical pair hanging off of the collar of her shirt.

“Thank you.” Rei said, surprised that Asuka had thought of that. She examined the pair of glasses. Dark lenses that wrapped around the side of the eyes. Decent sun protection, she figured.

“The guy who was selling them was jacking up his prices. No way these things are worth four thousand yen a piece.” Asuka complained, slipping on her pair. The area around them grew quiet, the muddled conversations dying down as they collectively realized the eclipse was upon them.

“It’s starting.” Rei said, keeping her voice low, following the lead of the rest of the people. She looked up at the sun, filtered through her dark glasses, where the transition began. The sun was no longer perfectly spherical, a sliver of darkness creeping onto one side. This had been what she had wanted to see, and now it was finally here. Asuka placed her arms on top of the cab, her hands lying flat on the metal roof. Rei stared at the one closest to her, halfway between and then shifted her gaze between Asuka and her own hands.

Rei was hesitant to start moving her hand. Was Asuka subtly giving her a hint, or was she simply hoping for that? A lot had been said on this trip already, and there was a lot more that they had not said to each other. At least that was true in Rei’s case. Her hand crept closer to Asuka’s, until there was only a few centimetres separating them. This had been what she had wanted. To be here.

The sun had a black semicircle carved in it when Asuka bumped her hand against Rei’s, and then slid it on top. Rei splayed her fingers out, allowing Asuka to slip hers between them. Rei still refused to look at her. Gripped by the irrational fear that if she did look at her, then the moment would end. instead she continued to watch the sun darken, and Asuka continued to cover her hand with hers. It was warm, Rei noted, and softer than she had imagined.

The eclipse reached its darkest point and there was a collective gasp from all those present. Rei hummed in content, and took a second to glance at the marvel on Asuka’s face. She pressed her fingers against Asuka’s, giving them a small squeeze to draw her attention. Asuka turned to her, a grin on her face. Once again, Rei smiled at her, something that simply felt right to do. Then they both turned back to the sun, watching the moon slowly pull away from it. As the light returned, Asuka lifted her hands off of Rei’s. Eventually the eclipse ended and the gathered people began to move again, the quiet rumble of voices filling the parking lot. Rei looked around. No one was paying any attention to them.

“Is your lip feeling better?” Rei asked quietly, trying to find a way to start what conversation she had dropped before the eclipse. Asuka grabbed her wrist, then dragged her down to sit on the truck bed. Then Asuka let go and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at Rei.

“Yeah, it is, thanks for asking.” Asuka grumbled. Then she cleared her throat and sighed. “Rei, about what I said today…” Her voice trailed off.

“I do understand how you feel.” Rei replied to the unasked question.

“Yeah, I know you do, with your father being how he is and all that.”

“What about him?” Rei pondered, not seeing the connection, if there was any.   

“He’s not a good person, from what Shinji and you have told me.” Asuka remembered. Rei nodded again. Her father was less than caring, or so Asuka had told her. Though the way he acted was normal to Rei, it had been how she was raised. Yet it had come as a shock to Asuka when she had first found out. Rei had been confused by how much it seemed to have affected her, though it was starting to make more sense. She knew what that felt like. Even if Rei didn’t.

“But he is my father.” Rei insisted. “And fathers were supposed to love their children.”

“What does that matter? Look at my father,” Asuka jabbed one of her hands against the center of her chest, “I don’t need him. He was hardly there before mama died, and he only took me in for legal reasons.” She explained bitterly, the anger on her face twisting into sorrow for a moment. Rei nodded again.

“I-” Rei began.

“You said that your parents split before you were born, and your dad only took you in after your mom died.” Asuka recalled, cutting her off. She sounded forceful, as if she was trying to convince either Rei or herself that it was true. Rei blinked, thinking hard about what Asuka was implying. It was obvious what she was. That they were both unwanted by their families. Perhaps that was true, Rei considered.

“There are people who are different than your family.” Rei stated, filing the brief silence. There was an unspoken second part to that. She was the one who was different. She cared for Asuka.

“Is there?” Asuka whispered, turning towards Rei. Rei nodded to confirm, and Asuka huffed. “Then I don’t need them anymore.” She snapped, bitterly.

“You’re still thinking of running away then?” Rei probed. She had not expected Asuka to change her mind. She frowned. What did she herself think of that? That was a harder question than she imagined.

“Yeah.” Asuka thought for a moment about whether or not to continue. “Join me.” She requested. The conversation ground to a halt after that. Asuka was thinking, Rei could tell. As the silence dragged on, Rei felt her throat tighten, a rush of emotions flooding through her. Asuka was most likely right. As she usually was when it came to such matters. Asuka was far more experienced with such truths than Rei was. Even so Rei still wanted it to be false. To think that her father truly did care about her. But if he did not, then would running away be the best option? She folded her hands under her chin and closed her eyes. After another thirty minutes of silence, Asuka started the engine, and began to drive back the way they had come. Rei watched her with curiosity, not knowing where she was taking them. If Asuka had been distressed, she had pushed that down. Her jaw was set, tightly. She seemed determined not to show any sign that she was weak, as was usual.

As it turned out, it was to a small ramen shop, Asuka must have spotted it on the way in, Rei thought. Asuka parked the truck and hopped out. Rei reached over to unfashion her seatbelt, only to be stopped by Asuka’s hand touching her wrist.

“Stay in, we’ll eat here.” Asuka told her. Rei nodded and curled up on the seat, pulling out her novel. She turned to page one-twenty and began to read again. Yet she soon found that she couldn’t. Far too distracted by the events of the day, of her own emotions that brewed inside her. She could not enter the right mindset to read. It was easier for Asuka to get out of that mindset, but not for Rei. So instead she sat, staring at the same page, no longer looking at the words but merely thinking. The door opened and Rei was drawn back to reality. The service had been quick then, and Rei could tell just from smell that it was what they usually ordered. Asuka offered her one of the cups. Rei took her cup from Asuka and slowly beginning to eat. It had been a day since she had last had any hot food. She hadn’t realized how much she had needed it until now.

“Thank you.” Rei told her, in between bites. “It is very good.” Asuka ate faster than her, wolfing it down. Too quick to do anything more than grunt and nod her head. Asuka needed it as well then.

“Yeah, it is.” Asuka agreed. She waited another moment to see if Rei would say anything. “The eclipse was fun I guess,” Asuka continued, leaning back in her seat and finishing her ramen. Then she let out a satisfied sigh.

“Yes, it was. I am glad that I was able to see it.” Rei replied once her mouth was empty. “Thank you for taking me.” She added. For a moment, Asuka’s eyes shot open and she stiffened. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, then shut it. Only to open it again a moment later.

“Whatever, it’s no big deal.” Asuka dismissed quietly with a wave of her hand. Even so there was a smile on her face.

***

They drove back to the field after that, and that night they again slept in the truck.Wordlessly, as was typical, they came to an agreement. Both of them sat closer to the centre of the seat, gravitating towards each other as opposed to the previous night, where they seemed to repulse the other as far away as they could. Rei was the first one to close the distance, unlike at the eclipse. She pressed her head against Asuka’s arm, and then closed her eyes. Once more, Rei had fallen asleep far faster than Asuka. Asuka had noticed that she seemed a bit more troubled since their conversation after the eclipse. She had not given an answer to her question either, whether she would join her. Rei shifted in her sleep, pressing herself tighter against Asuka. Once again she smiled, examining the top of Rei’s head as it slumped against her shoulder.

Rei hadn’t mentioned the awkward contact between them. Asuka hadn’t looked at her to judge her expression, but Rei hadn’t pulled away when she had initiated it. Nor had she made any comment tonight when she had leaned against Asuka, nor when Asuka had leaned back.

Which meant she had felt something, right? That thought gave Asuka pause. At the very least, Rei was comfortable with it, with her. And even though she hated to admit it, she had needed the talk she had had. At least Rei had listened. And hopefully she would agree with her. Asuka frowned, sleep starting to muddle her thoughts, then shut her eyes for the night.   

Asuka began to stir slowly, her body aching from the awkward sleeping position. The sun was shining through the front window, onto her face and through her eyelids. She grumbled and

The sound of Rei letting out a content hum, close enough that she felt it through her body rather than heard it, brought her back to the waking world. Like her, Rei was half awake, her eyes slowly cracking open, glancing around the truck until they focussed on Asuka. She seemed surprised for a second, and then pulled away. Asuka didn’t protest to it, she didn’t try to pull her back in. Last night had passed, and with it whatever need for physical intimacy there was. They were back to where they had been before. Then Rei’s surprised look turned into a smile, and she shuffled closer to Asuka again. Now it was Asuka’s turn to be surprised. Rei settled her shoulder against Asuka’s, and even though that was all she seemed willing to do at the time, it was enough for Asuka to understand the intent. She sighed and put a bit of her weight on Rei, and for the second time they watched the sunrise together.

“I have been thinking about last night…” Rei began after the sun had fully risen. Asuka paused from collecting her things. Asuka had already decided that they could take a leisurely pace. It wasn’t like they needed to be anywhere anytime soon. So she could hear Rei out.

“You won’t go with me?” Her voice was quieter than she intended. She didn’t want to hear the question, never mind the answer.

“I would.” Rei’s words washed over Asuka with relief. “But there is something else we can do.”

“What’s that?” The sense of relief was gone in an instant. She let out a little shiver, one that Rei seemed to detect as she shifted her weight slightly. .  

“Go back.” Rei said, simply. As if it was an easy thing for Asuka.

“Are you stupid?” Asuka’s voice was a hiss. It came out before she could stop herself in a flash of anger.

“No.” Rei replied, looking away from Asuka and closing her eyes.. “Will you hear me out?” She asked quietly. Asuka nodded without hesitation. Of course she would. It was Rei who was asking her.

“Alright.” Even if she would, there was still hesitance in her voice. They weren't going anywhere, but she was still gripping the steering wheel with all her might. It was reflex.

Rei took a breath before she began. “You should not run away from your problems. Your family is not the best, I know. And my father is not good either, and even though I did not exactly have a problem with it, I know you do. I think I am developing one as well.” Asuka pressed her lips together. These were all things both of them already knew. Rei took a deep breath before continuing. “It will be difficult to leave though. It would raise questions. And how would we find a way to support ourselves, we have not graduated high school yet. There are other people as well who would care more than them. My brother, and you have Hikari-” Asuka nodded. That was true on both regards. “-And what’s more, we will be there for each other. That is what you wanted as well, was it not?” Rei concluded. Asuka let it all sink in. Yet it was the last part that struck her. Rei was different than other people, of course. Not just in how she acted, but how Asuka viewed her. What she was proposing though was  completely foreign concept for someone who had looked after herself, and looked out for herself. Rei would be there for her. She would be there for Rei. They would have each other. It was strange to think that things could be different than they were now. Different than what she was used to. But Rei promised they would be, and Asuka trusted her enough. Cautiously, she nodded. It would take a while, she knew, to convince herself of it. But she still wanted to try.

“Let's go.” Asuka turned the ignition, looking at Rei for confirmation. Rei silently nodded, smiling gently, then turned back towards the road. The truck started and began to move along the road, heading south.


End file.
